Brno

Introducing Brno

With flashy Prague being the city at the top of many travellers’ must-do list, Brno, just 210km to the east, could be forgiven for developing a slight inferiority complex. But in reality the people of Brno are perfectly OK with their city’s lot as the Czech Republic’s second city.

Despite having a population of less than 400, 000, Brno behaves like the cosmopolitan capital it is (ie of Moravia), and stately boulevards and parks give it an almost Parisian air. This vaguely Gallic ambience is further enhanced by a population with contagious enthusiasm for caffeine, chat and culture, which they energetically bring to life in the city’s cafés and bars.

Brno has an after-dark reputation for keeping its top button firmly done up, but spend a few hours in a local pub and you’ll soon see that traditional Moravian reserve melt away. Maybe it’s because they don’t have to share their old town with legions of tourists.

And even if Brno’s historical hub is small change compared with the architectural overachievement that is Prague, the city can stand alone with an array of excellent galleries and museums, a brooding castle fortress and a robust confidence in the relevance and importance of surrounding Moravia, comfortably away from the sometimes myopic focus of the national capital.

Last updated: Aug 6, 2009